Aims and recruitment process of new London Policing Board unclear

The direction of the new London Policing Board is currently unclear and further information is needed about what skills are being prioritised in the recruitment process, according to the London Assembly Police and Crime Committee.

One of the key recommendations of Baroness Casey’s review of the Metropolitan Police Service was the introduction of a new quarterly Policing Board for London, chaired by the Mayor and held in public.

The Mayor’s Office for Policing and Crime (MOPAC) has taken this recommendation forward and recruitment for the Board is already underway.

However, the Committee is unclear about what skills and experience are being prioritised, the role the Mayor envisages Board members to play in holding the Met to account, and the strategic aims of the Board itself.

With only nine spaces on the Board, the Committee is concerned that it is ambitious for the Mayor to achieve representation of Londoners, including those with lived experience, whilst simultaneously securing the breath of specialist expertise necessary.

Because of this, the Committee has today written to the Chief Executive Officer of MOPAC with five recommendations on where MOPAC could further strengthen its approach to oversight to best assist the Met in implementing the reform it needs, including:

• MOPAC should provide the Committee with further information on precisely what skills and experience are being prioritised in the recruitment process for the Board, and the proposed terms of reference for the Board.
• MOPAC should provide the Committee with a timeline for the revision of the performance metrics for the Met and the framework for the MPS/MOPAC Audit Panel, and to share both with the Committee once ready.
• MOPAC should work with the Met to reinstate and strengthen local analytical capability.
• MOPAC must take urgent action to address its technological skills gap so it can provide effective oversight of the Met’s technology programmes.

Caroline Russell AM, Chair of the Police and Crime Committee, said:

"Baroness Casey’s review made clear that major changes are needed for the Met to regain the trust of Londoners.

“While we understand that the Mayor is under pressure to deliver reform, we believe that a swift response should not be at the expense of a strategic one.

“That is why we are asking for more information about what skills and experience are being prioritised for the new London Policing Board, the role the Mayor envisages Board members to play in holding the Met to account, and the strategic aims of the Board itself.

“We must all continue to work constructively to provide the scrutiny, oversight and support the Met needs to achieve its required transformation to a service that Londoners deserve.”